Belgian costume designer Charlotte Willems is one of the best-known and most successful in her home country. She began her career as a graphic designer, but missed contact with people. She was born with a flair for clothing and art: Her mother is a textile artist and her father an architect.

Charlotte studied costume design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp). Her work includes “55 Steps”, starring Hilary Swank and Helena Bonham Carter, “Spider in the Web” with Sir Ben Kingsley and Monica Bellucci, “I Kill Giants” featuring Zoe Saldana, Madison Wolfe and Imogen Poots, and “How to Kill Your Sister”, which recently premiered in Cannes.

Charlotte has collaborated with Oscar-winning directors such as Bille August, Brian De Palma, and Anders Walter. Her approach to costume design is rooted in storytelling, aiming to support character and narrative with subtle detail and emotional depth.

The British-Belgian series “Bookish” starts on July 16 in the UK and in November in Germany. In six episodes, bookshop owner Gabriel Book (Mark Gatiss) helps the police solve the most difficult crimes in London in the 1940s. But he himself has a secret. After losing the love of his life in the war, Book’s past suddenly seems to catch up with him and presents him with a mystery that seems unsolvable even to him.

Copyright Portrait: Charlotte Willems // Filmfotos: “Eleanore & Colette” – Bernd Spauke // “I kill giants” – Umedia // “Bookish” – UKTV Kevin Baker

Post-war London forms the backdrop of the story, and I approached the characters with a touch of humor — a bit quirky, but never over the top. The script itself carries that very typical witty British humor, and I wanted to reflect that tone through small, subtle details in the costumes. It was important to stay true to the period, while still giving the characters a distinctive charm that supports their individuality and the playful edge of the narrative.

How would you describe the style of the costumes in “Bookish”? Are there any special characters in “Bookish” where the costume says a lot about the character?

There are definitely a few characters that stood out — either because of their complexity or the visual impact we wanted to achieve. Without giving too much away… one of the most fun aspects of “Bookish” was designing for a story that partially unfolds on a 1940s film set. We had to dress the entire on-set crew — film technicians, sparks, grips, extras — all in accurate 1940s looks. On top of that, the lead actors also had scenes within the “film-within-the-film,” some of which were shot in black and white. That created an interesting challenge: finding the right balance of colors and textures so the costumes worked beautifully in black and white, but also still blended seamlessly into the overall Bookish world when we pulled back and saw the film set as part of the narrative. It was a layered, playful design exercise that I really enjoyed.

What do you love most about your profession?

What I love most is getting completely lost in a script. When I read it, it often opens up visually in my mind — a mix of colors, textures, sounds… I can almost feel how the scenes will be shot. I’m most passionate about bringing a character to life through costume, making sure the actor feels fully supported in their performance. I also love working closely with the production designer, so we can design each frame together and create layers of meaning — working on the subconscious of the viewer. Costume, like music, has that same invisible power to evoke feelings without saying a word. I love the fact that I can submerge myself with wonder and an open eye into new worlds and stories — and the serendipity of finding unexpected pieces, sometimes out of the box, when you least expect it, can push the design in exciting and unexpected directions.

What do you particularly appreciate about a costume house?

I like mixing pieces from different costume houses to create a unique look — each house has its own strengths and character, with certain standout pieces that help shape a specific style. Working with Theaterkunst is always a pleasure: the staff is incredibly welcoming, everything is well organized and clean, and the costumes are sorted by size, which really helps save precious time when selecting silhouettes. Being able to have custom designs made in-house is also a fantastic asset — it allows for greater precision and creativity in bringing a vision to life.

What advice would you give to costume designers at the beginning of their career?

I strongly believe in taking things at a slower pace, where you have the chance to learn alongside others. Every role in the costume department matters — they all add up and are equally important in achieving the final result. It’s essential to read scripts thoroughly, dive deep into research, and understand the world you’re helping to build. Dressing large numbers of extras might seem like a less glamorous task, but it’s actually one of the best ways to learn quickly — especially when working with period costumes. It trains your eye, sharpens your instincts, and helps you get the period “into your fingers,” as we say.

Best regards to Belgium and thank you very much for the interview!

Thank you for the lovely conversation — it’s always a joy to reflect on the work and share a little glimpse into the worlds we get to build.